Lab supply firms boost production to respond to COVID-19 demand

The scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic is leading to investments and hiring at companies that sell laboratory supplies. Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced plans to spend $140 million to increase its production of plastic consumables—such as pipette tips, storage tubes, and vials—used in COVID-19 testing and vaccine development. The firm says it will hire 1,000 additional manufacturing employees and expand plants in Rochester, New York; Petaluma, California; Monterrey and Tijuana, Mexico; and Joensuu, Finland. Separately, MilliporeSigma is looking for 160 new employees for a plant in Joffrey, New Hampshire, that makes filters used to develop and produce vaccines. The extra hires will enable the plant to operate 24 h per day. A MilliporeSigma spokesperson says 14 of those jobs are in technical and professional roles such as chemistry. Similarly, glassmakers including DWK, Corning, and SiO₂ Materials Sciences are increasing their capacity for borosilicate glass vials used to hold vaccines.